By: Murr (Senate Sponsor - Powell) H.B. No. 3864
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 10, 2021;
  May 14, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on
  Education; May 24, 2021, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 9, Nays 0; May 24, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to excused absences from public school for certain
  students to visit a professional's workplace for a career
  investigation day.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 25.087, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (b-8) and amending Subsection (d) to read as
  follows:
         (b-8)  A school district may excuse a student from attending
  school for a career investigation day to visit a professional at the
  professional's workplace during the student's junior and senior
  years of high school for the purpose of determining the student's
  interest in pursuing a career in the professional's field, provided
  that:
               (1)  the district may not excuse for this purpose more
  than two days during the student's junior year and two days during
  the student's senior year; and
               (2)  the district adopts:
                     (A)  a policy to determine when an absence may be
  excused for this purpose; and
                     (B)  a procedure to verify that the student's
  visit at the professional's workplace did occur.
         (d)  A student whose absence is excused under Subsection (b),
  (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), (b-8), or (c) may not be penalized for
  that absence and shall be counted as if the student attended school
  for purposes of calculating the average daily attendance of
  students in the school district. A student whose absence is excused
  under Subsection (b), (b-1), (b-2), (b-4), (b-5), (b-8), or (c)
  shall be allowed a reasonable time to make up school work missed on
  those days. If the student satisfactorily completes the school
  work, the day of absence shall be counted as a day of compulsory
  attendance.
         SECTION 2.  This Act applies beginning with the 2021-2022
  school year.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
 
  * * * * *